In one of the richest cities in the world, New York, nearly one in four children under the age of 3 live in poverty.
The Bridge Project, funded by $16 million from the New York City-based Monarch Foundation, is the latest in a series of local cash pilot programs that provide no-strings-attached money to select populations in need.
They give mothers across New York City $500 or $1,000 every month for three years, with no strings attached.
Early research on the first six months of the project, released this month, shows that women were able to access child care at higher rates and buy essentials for their babies.
Cash assistance today for mothers with young babies has the potential to allow a whole generation to separate from the toxic stresses of poverty, break intergenerational cycles, and provide the environment for children to grow into happy, healthy adults.
Source: Bridge Project
